Fast-tracking an assisted suicide law through parliament by Christmas would be “cynical and perilous”, a charity CEO has warned.
At the weekend, the Mail on Sunday reported that Keir Starmer could pave the way for a vote on new proposals within weeks.
Downing Street has said it would not obstruct a private member’s bill on the issue and would actively support an MP in drafting it.
CARE’s CEO Ross Hendry commented:
“The idea of hastily drafting and rushing through any law is objectionable but on an issue of such gravity, it would be especially cynical and perilous. The proposal in question involves enabling doctors to participate in the suicides of their patients – something that is morally and practically dangerous. This is not a minor or uncontroversial change, as campaigners claim.
“As well as enabling more tragic suicides, an ‘assisted dying’ law would fundamentally change the relationship between doctors and their patients, lead to negative judgments about the value of some lives, and see people feeling pressure to end their lives because they feel like a burden, or because they lack sufficient support. This would not be conducive to human flourishing.
“We would urge the Prime Minister not to fast-track legislation on this issue. In 2015, Parliamentarians overwhelmingly rejected a change in the law given fears that it is impossible to make an assisted suicide law ‘safe’. The strong evidence for this position has not changed in the intervening years. We hope that MPs will come to see this during any new debate on a change in the law.”
